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Things To Do

The Best Things To Do In Melbourne This Weekend

14th Oct 2026
Written by: Urban List Writers
  • best things to do in melbourne this weekend 2026

Consider yourself a matcha lover? Thanks to T2, three cult names from LA, Japan and Korea are landing in Australia exclusively for eight weeks. Get the lowdown here.

Searching for the best things to do in Melbourne/Naarm this weekend? You're in luck. The calendar is always full of top-tier happenings in Melbourne.

Whether it's a foodie find, a magical night market or a street festival, Melbourne is serving up another weekend of fun events and activities. 

Here's everything that's on in Melbourne this weekend. 

Mongolian Night At La Sirène

Reservoir | Saturday 17 October


Image: Charles Duan | Supplied

It's not every day you find a flame-grilled Mongolian feast in Melbourne, much less one with the funky fermenters at La Sirène brewing. Six courses, $95, a taste of Northern China with snacks like lamb tartare with BBQ spice and sesame shao bing and a smoked pig head croquette with century egg gribiche.

Gluten-Free Expo

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre | 17–18 October


Image: Coeliac Australia | Supplied

Coeliacs (and anyone with a gluten-free diet or interest), rejoice—it's that time of year again. Coeliac Australia's Gluten-Free Expo is back this weekend with two days of gluten-free tastings, food trucks, cooking classes and learning at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Confirmed exhibitors include Arnott's, Simply Wize, Two Bays Brewing Co, OMG! Decadent Donuts, plus the teams behind local gluten-free bakeries Gingersnap Bakery and Little Rabbit Cookies. 

For the first time ever in Melbourne, Coeliac Australia is also launching The Taste Lab, a dedicated family-friendly cooking space hosted by the team behind Shop 225 (which was recently named in the top 50 best pizzas in the world). They'll be running hands-on cooking sessions all weekend, with dedicated recipes for different age groups—icing and decorating bakery treats for kids under six, homemade bliss balls for seven- to twelve-year-olds and fresh potato gnocchi for teens. 

For those newly diagnosed or just looking to learn more, there'll be plenty of education points throughout the show, with direct access to leading clinicians, dietitians and experts on hand to discuss life with Coeliac Disease. Get your tickets to the ultimate GF day out here. 

Cleo Rooftop Is Serving A King Prawn Gilda And Spiced Mango Margarita For Just $25

Cleo Rooftop, Level 12, 130 Russell Street, Melbourne, VIC | 5 October to 1 November 2026

There’s nothing quite like a rooftop bar with sweeping views of a dazzling city skyline, and Cleo Rooftop on Russell Street is one of the best spots to soak it all in. Even better, this sun-drenched venue is serving up a seriously delicious snack and cocktail pairing. Tuck into the King Prawn Gilda, featuring fresh Spencer Gulf king prawns marinated in smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic, fennel, cumin seed and lemon zest, skewered with pickled golden Greek chilli peppers and served with a side of tzatziki. Pair it with a spiced mango margarita, all for just $25 per person.

Queensberry Cup

North Melbourne | 17 October


Image: Queensberry Cup | Instagram

Feel the need for speed? Get your fill of excitement at the Queensberry Cup, North and West Melbourne's annual billy kart race and street party. 60 racers will launch themselves down Errol Street hill in custom karts ranging from delightfully decorated to downright sculptural. Heats start from 1pm, with finals at 4pm. In between, it’s a festival of music, performance, tasty eats and even a dog show.

Italian Festa And Expo

Royal Exhibition Building | 17–18 October


Image: Italian Festa and Expo | Instagram

Immerse yourself in la dolce vita at the Italian Festa and Expo. The Royal Exhibition Building and Grounds is being taken over by all things Italian from morning to night. Book a tasting spot at Expo Sapori, the food and wine showcase, or dive deeper and upgrade to a masterclass ticket. Browse the stalls and pick up a grownup ‘Aperitivo’ showbag. When you’re ready for a retail break, hit the pizza, pasta and panini, some cocktails and coffee and kick back at the Italian Jazz Club. Bonus: they’ll be raffling off a holiday, a Vespa and more great prizes.

Melbourne International Jazz Festival 

Melbourne | 16–25 October


Image: Melbourne International Jazz Festival | Instagram

Whether you’re a jazz cat or just love a great party, Melbourne International Jazz Festival brings a killer lineup of global and local acts and free events throughout the city. These are big names, too. GRAMMY‑winning Kris Davis is taking the stage with her trio, showing off the contemporary jazz stylings that are dominating the NYC scene right now. It’s not just jazz, with acts like six-time ARIA winning blues musos, the Teskey Brothers, and synth maestro BIGYUKI with jazz fusion. 

Join a free, family friendly New Orleans-style street party, a musical bar crawl in Footscray, free jazz in Fed Square on Saturday and Sunday and so much more.

Melbourne Donut Festival

Queen Vic Market | 17–18 October


Image: All Day Donuts | Instagram

The only thing better than a donut is a Donut Festival that’s free, all ages and all weekend long. Queen Vic Market’s C-D Sheds will host more than 15 of the most creative donut artists around, from city faves like All Day Donuts to fresh-fried, organic Gippsland Giant Donuts served with sauces and drizzles. Hit OMG Donuts Whittlesea for vegan and gluten free treats, St Gerry's for Greek donuts with ice cream, Jamm’d for Danish donuts and Churro Kitchen for bowls of crisp Spanish churros. Bring the gang, get a few of each and try them all.

It’s Your Last Week To Get Disuko’s Snack And Sip Deal For $28

Level 3/59-63 Bourke St, Melbourne | Until Sunday 18 October

While saving is officially in, that doesn’t mean enjoying the dining delights has to be out. That’s why we’ve joined forces with ING to serve up something special across 12 standout restaurants across Australia.

This month’s offer is the stuff of culinary dreams, with Disuko’s playful spin on an iconic Osaka street eat—four crisp Takoyaki Beignets with a light, airy centre of charred octopus and spring onion, finished with delicate bonito flakes. And because no bite is complete without an equally decadent sip, this one comes with a Yuzu Martini made with Mount Zero yuzu olive oil, fat-washed Absolut Vodka and Bermutto Sansho Vermouth, garnished with Mount Zero yuzu olive oil droplets.

Available only until Sunday 18 October, it’s a snack-and-sip combo that feels ultra-luxe, but comes in at just $28. Secure your booking here.

Margaret Preston At The NGV

Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne | 4 September 2026–31 January 2027

After seven decades of work and over 200 paintings, prints, and sculptures, the first major retrospective retrospective of Margaret Preston’s career in over 20 years is heading for the NGV’s Ian Potter Centre. Opening in September, this landmark exhibition will chart the full arc of one of Australia’s most influential modern artists. Preston is known for her Post-Impressionist-influenced still lifes of the early 1900s, her expansive landscapes depicting the 1940s, and her characteristically bold woodblock prints that she’s perhaps best known for. 

In addition to Preston’s work, you’ll be able to check out nineteen works by contemporary First Nations artists like world-premiere commissions by Marilyn Russell and Jimmy Frank Jupurrla. This places Preston’s appropriation of Indigenous visual culture in direct and necessary dialogue with the people who have since responded to, interrogated, and reframed it. 

To explore highlight artworks like Flannel flowers, Shoalhaven Gorge, New South Wales, and over 30 woodblock prints

The Ultimate Sunday Reset At Cleo 

Cleo at Hyde Melbourne Place, Melbourne | Sunday 18 October

Image: Cleo | Supplied

Rebranding Sunday mornings in time for the warmer weather feels very ‘spring cleaning’ to us. Hyde Melbourne Place is partnering with The Melbourne Apothecary (the naturopathic health collective at MECCA Bourke Street) for The Sunday Reset: 12 weeks of Sunday morning wellness that’s running from October all the way till Christmas. 

Each session begins down on Level 1  in the Emerald Room, where certified Buteyko practitioner and naturopath Carly Woods leads 45 minutes of guided breathwork. Then, move upstairs to the (frankly iconic) Cleo rooftop for a shared brunch—complete with barista coffee—as the city wakes up below. If you’re wanting to take your Sunday morning reset even further, add 24K gold ear seeding. The seeds are placed on targeted pressure points for sleep, stress relief and balance. 

Spots for The Sunday Reset are capped at 35 guests per week; everything you need is provided, and no prior breathwork experience is needed. Bookings are essential, so grab your tickets here.

Celebrate Defiant Love At The Rebel Heart Exhibition

Keith Murdoch Gallery, State Library Victoria | Until 27 January 2027


Image: Rebel Heart | Eugene Hyland

Love doesn’t follow a rulebook, and the State Library Victoria’s latest exhibition is dedicated to the people who throw that book entirely out the window. Rebel Heart: Love Letters and Other Declarations uses the Library’s extensive archive of letters, diaries, and rare manuscripts to share stories of romantic defiance across the ages, from Victorian-era same-sex couples to a mid-century marriage caught in the crossfire of the White Australia policy. 

The high notes of the exhibition include a mourning brooch woven from the hair of pastoralist couple Anne Drysdale and Caroline Newcomb, and the story of bushrangers Captain Moonlight and James Nesbitt after they met in Pentridge Prison. Eventually turning to the present, Rebel Heart explores digital intimacy through mixtapes, DMs, and even AI relationships. 

Check out original music commissions from Angie McMahon, Mindy Meng Wang, Mo’Ju, and Amos Roach, all of which respond to the material on display to add a truly moving layer to the experience. Entry is free, and the exhibition runs until January 2027; find out more here.

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Bubble Planet

62 Dawson St, Brunswick | Ongoing

Image credit: Bubble Planet | Supplied

Lift your spirits: Bubble Planet is floating into Brunswick on 1 April. 

Bubble Planet has already mesmerised more than ten cities around the world—from London to Los Angeles, and New York to Milan—where it’s drawn over five million visitors. How does it work? Well, guests move through a spherical universe via multiple rooms, each featuring surreal, dream-like landscapes and everything from giant inflatables to floating soapy bubbles. Explore the Giant Bubble Dome, where you can relax on huge inflatable clouds while watching meditative animations above, and the continuous illusions of the Infinity Room. 

There are 11 rooms to discover at Bubble Planet (hosted at Fever Melbourne). Visitors of all ages will love the colourful combination of technology, creativity, and the senses in this floor-to-ceiling sensory experience. 

Main image credit: City of Melbourne | Website

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